Steampunk clock #1: Prep work: homemade fully working analog dial indicator

by Martin Sojka

Hi guys,

So for that steampunk clock I'll be building for my father I need decorative props. Quickslap-style analog dials are okay for the others, but not for me: I want it to be the real thing. So how can you get your hands onto a working 25mm OD analog dial? Well, probably by huge luck, but if I can picture it, I can build it.

I didn't shoot the whole process, as this is a preliminary prototype (which works). Just posted it on instructables to see if it gets any attention.

It's entirely made from homemade cardboard (printer paper + thin CA glue), plus a glass dome bought on ebay (like $3 for 6 of them, free postage), 0,05mm enameled copper wire (don't remember but for the 7,5 m needed for this it's less than 1€ worth of wire), a small section of 0,8 mm brass rod, two small rare-earth magnets (from Supermagnetman's website).

And time. Lots of time. At this stage I have around 3 hours in it, give or take, which involved building the winding jigs and devising the proper building methods. Here are the pictures and a video of the thingie in action. Hope this will tinker the Steam Punk in you ;)